Midian has lived in Gevkan Castle for almost all of her twenty-five years, growing up alongside Princess Arien. Though timid, she's content in her life and comfortable with the people who surround her. It's not until she meets Kelson, best friend of Prince Dmitri, that she realizes how deep her shyness runs. Kelson is outgoing and wildly flirtatious, pushing Midian away when all he wants is to draw her closer.

Midian's life is put in danger when she's kidnapped by the neighboring king who thinks she's the princess and wants to leverage her life for power and money.

Will Kelson be able to stop the king fast enough, proving his affections for Midian, or will the king's scheming keep them forever separated?

Lizzie doesn't know the old whistle she found in a deserted trapper's cabin is possessed. She blows on it, accidentally calling back the spirit of a dead goddess consumed by the desire to snare the person who called her.

When the goddess arrives in the form of a statue, the stillness of Lizzie's mountain retreat is destroyed.

Set against the background of the exploration of the Aztec civilization, TIDES ACROSS THE SEA, opens in the year 1519, where the passion for adventure and the lust for gold reign in the hearts of both young and old. Fifteen-year-old Felipe is no exception, though his yearning for adventure is tempered by his love for the beautiful Manuela. She wants to marry him, but when Felipe ends up on Cortés’ ship bound for the New World, the young couple is pulled apart. Felipe and Manuela each must find a way to overcome the odds stacked against them if they want to someday reunite.

Sarah Williams is a young Welsh immigrant, coming to Utah to join her sister Mary Ann Perkins and her young family. When the Perkins' are asked to join the San Juan mission to pioneer a trail through Southern Utah, they take Sarah along to help care for the children. But a six-week journey turns into six agonizing months of hard work and toil as the Saints blast their way through a cliff to bring their wagons through what would become the famous Utah landmark "Hole in the Rock." This LDS historical fiction novel is based on the life of the author's great-great-grandfather and accurately depicts the experiences of these intrepid pioneers as they sought to be obedient to a higher call.

Cynical Morgan has just about decided that no one could possibly fall in love with her - all the good guys want perfect girls, and she's anything but perfect. But then along comes the guy who falls head-over-heels in love with her just as she is and helps her find the bright side of life again. This is book two of the Main Street Merchants series – book one, And Something Blue, is already just .99 all the time.

Abbi has the gift of dreams. But her uncanny ability to see glimpses of the future has no apparent purpose or meaning until a dream leads her to a man on the brink of despair and destruction. Cameron is a man without a name and without a country, framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Long ago forced into exile and believed dead, the passing of years have defaced him of all hope. The country of Horstberg suffers beneath the weight of tyranny, and only Cameron holds the secret that could see her ruler undone and restore the people to peace and prosperity. While revolution brews and whispers of treason threaten all that is dear to Abbi, she remains unaware of her own ability to answer a nation’s prayers. Trusting only her heart and the power of her dreams, Abbi gives all that she has to lead Cameron back into a civilized world, where love is real and freedom comes only in facing what hides behind the mask.

When Honor Means More Than Anything To A Man, Can He Sacrifice His Honor For Love?

Captain Lance Dukerk has no doubt that the only woman he ever loved married the right man—even though that man wasn’t him. Yet he longs to have that kind of love in his life and is growing weary of being known as the most eligible bachelor in Horstberg’s military force. When poverty-stricken Nadine Rader arrives at Castle Horstberg, insisting that her young daughter is the legitimate child of the duke, it becomes increasingly evident that the deceased ruler Nikolaus du Woernig left a torrent of disillusionment and heartache in his wake. Inexplicably drawn to Nadine, Lance takes personal charge of seeing that her needs are met as she attempts to piece her life back together. Their mutual attraction quickly merges into something profound, until Nadine discovers that Lance’s connections to Nikolaus go far deeper than she’d ever imagined, and her budding trust in Lance shatters. Nadine’s life becomes more troubling as women who fit her description are brutally murdered, and neither she nor Lance are prepared to face startling evidence that widens the chasm of mistrust between them. While Nadine fights to stay alive, Lance relentlessly tracks the monster responsible for these horrendous crimes, hoping he’ll be in time to protect the one woman he knows he can never live without.

Friday the 13th has always been unlucky for history professor Camille Britain, and this one doesn't seem any different. In an effort to escape her failed marriage, Camille is renting a cabin in beautiful Island Park, Idaho, where she meets wildlife photographer Jackson Armstrong, who scoffs at her superstitious ways and infuriates her with his offers of help. Camille doesn't need another man—not even one as compelling and attractive as Jackson. Especially when he seems hung up on another woman. And yet Camille can’t deny the passion between them or the way Jackson makes her feel. This Friday the 13th upsets both their worlds by forcing Camille and Jackson to see things about themselves, their families, and each other that might—with a little help—change them forever. Maybe this time superstition is on their side. The Superstitious Romance is a story about a strong woman who feels weak, a man who doubts himself, and a powerful love that changes everything.

At Lincoln High, Nathan Stewart is practically invisible. The only time he is noticed is when his fellow students need someone to torment. Not only do they call him nerd, bookworm, or “Birdlegs,” but they also threaten him with physical violence. The problem has become so serious that two of his main goals in life are to hide his skinny body from his classmates and to escape the constant persecution of the bullies, especially muscle-bound Kit Morrison.
As one of the outcasts at Fremont, Nathan has little hope that the girl of his dreams, Kathy Young, will ever notice him. So he resigns himself to adoring her in secret. The only person who really knows how Nathan feels is his friend in misery, a classmate named Benny Berger, who is hounded and teased for being fat and clumsy. But Nathan has one remarkable ability that has the potential to change everything and win the admiration of that very special girl.

There are only two ways to kill Unbounded, and fire isn’t one of them—as law school dropout Erin Radkey learns the hard way. By fluke of a recessive gene, she has become Unbounded, a nearly immortal being with paranormal abilities. Erin’s Change separates her from her loved ones and alters everything she believes to be true. A week earlier she was considering a marriage proposal; now she contemplates the best way to stay alive. Caught in a battle between two Unbounded groups, the Emporium and the Renegades, she is also hunted by a secret mortal society sworn to eradicate the Unbounded gene. Some will stop at nothing to use Erin as one more pawn in a battle that has spanned centuries. Erin’s undeniable attraction to Ritter Langton, whose family was massacred by opposing Unbounded two hundred and forty years ago, complicates her choices. There are no second chances. Death, life, or love—Unbounded always play for keeps.

A Compelling Story of Heartbreaking Loss, Inspiring Faith, and a Newfound Love Strong Enough to Heal All Wounds.

Bill Dubrey is a sought-after plastic surgeon for LA’s prestigious and wealthy, and an equally sought-after bachelor. On the surface it appears he has it all—money, respect, and fame. Yet behind his aloof exterior lurks a tragic past that prevents him from finding lasting happiness. All that changes on the day Kylee Stewart reenters his life. She alone knows Bill’s secret agony, and she is determined to help him face his past. During the years they’ve been apart, Kylee’s own life has been far from easy, but unlike Bill, she has turned to God in her need, finding a faith to which she desperately clings. The tentative friendship they begin has Bill rethinking his stark future, yet he keeps his heart in check—afraid to commit, afraid to lose again. During Kylee’s darkest moment, when she needs him most, will he be there for her?

Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating the “Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone . . . if perfect is even possible.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

With all the fervor going on right now about the release of a certain movie coming out on Valentine's Day (which I won't name, because it's already getting all the Internet attention it can stand), I've seen a theme repeated over and over on social media. "It's not really porn. So what's the problem?"

I'm going to take this discussion away from that particular nameless movie and discuss the broader question--what is porn? The dictionary defines it as media that depicts people in sexual situations for the purpose of arousing sexual desire in the viewer. That's a pretty straightforward definition, not too hard to understand. Basically, if you're watching it and you're becoming aroused, it's porn. And even if it wasn't created for that purpose, if you're aroused, it's still porn.

Lots of people can eat cabbage. (No, that's not a massive change of subject. Bear with me. I'll make a point.) I can't eat cabbage, at least the standard light green stuff. I can have red cabbage and I can have Napa cabbage and I can have bok choy, which is in the cabbage family, but if I eat your basic, regular cabbage, I get a migraine. Cabbage is healthy, right? For many people, it is, but for me, it's not. It's unhealthy.

Let me relate that back to the topic at hand. Some become sexually aroused more easily than others. They may have to be careful not to watch certain television shows because those shows elicit feelings they've chosen not to have with anyone but their spouse. Maybe that show doesn't bother their friend, but they themselves avoid it because it's not good for them. It's their cabbage. Because it's not good for them, because it leads to sexual arousal for them, it's porn to them. That's as far as the cabbage analogy goes--I'm not saying that porn is healthy for some and unhealthy for others. My point is that we can become aroused by things that aren't labeled "porn." It doesn't have to be "porn" to create that response.

I'm not going to go into a long debate over whether porn is harmful or leads to greater sexual fulfillment or whatever. There are tons and tons of articles on the topic, and you can read them at your leisure on the Internet. Basically, if you believe it's *harmful, you'll find stuff to back you up. If you believe it adds spice to your life, you can find stuff to back that up too. I'm also not going to go into religious ramifications--we all know what those are, and while I agree with them 100%, they're easy to find and I wouldn't be able to make any statements better than the ones that have already been made.

What I am here to say is that we need to become clearer in our understanding of what porn is. If you're reading something or watching something and you find yourself becoming aroused, that media is porn to you. I'm not talking about the little heart flutters when you read about a great marriage proposal. I'm not talking about a contented sigh after seeing him confess his love under a starlit sky. I'm talking about situations where you find your own body responding in a sexual way. It could be a small response or a major one--anywhere on that spectrum is arousal, and if you have made the choice to stay away from porn, you should avoid the media that created that response within you.

Again, not here to moralize. This is your choice entirely. For me, as an individual, I've chosen to avoid it. Your choice may be different. I'd just like for us to make those choices knowing clearly what we're choosing. We can't delude ourselves into thinking that we're doing one thing when we're really doing another. We each need to decide for ourselves where we stand, and then stand there. It's too easy to get pulled to one side or another, debating and splitting hairs. If we each know where we stand, the question is answered.

You're the only one who knows what qualifies as porn to you. You're the only one who can make that determination, and also the choice what to do about it. My choice is made. I state it with respect to others who have chosen differently or haven't yet decided. I hope we can all be respectful of each other's personal moral decisions, remembering how very hard our Savior fought to that we might have the opportunity to make choices like this for ourselves.

*The statistics linking pornography to sex crimes are startling, and we have to admit that there is a strong connection. However, that topic is far too broad to cover in this one simple post, so I haven't mentioned it. I do leave this footnote so it's clear that I'm very, very cognizant of it. Not everyone who does porn will commit sexual crimes. However, nearly all of those who commit sexual crimes also do porn. Again, not the purpose of this post.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Nine years ago, a young mother named Heather Von St. James had just given birth to a new baby girl when she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, which is cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

She had surgery to remove her entire left lung, and went through a recovery process that required her to have a great attitude and a will to keep going. She and her family celebrate her life every year with Lung Leavin' Day, which marks her remarkable journey. They gather around a fire in her backyard, write their biggest fears on a plate, and then smash them, symbolizing that fears can be overcome and life can be lived to its fullest.

This year, we're all invited to celebrate Lung Leavin' Day too. On February 2nd, you're invited to face your own fears and smash them into oblivion. Click here to read more about this great movement and see what you can do to help other lung cancer patients at the same time.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

This year has been ... wow. It's been a year. In lieu of cards (although, to be honest, when do I ever really do cards?) I'm posting this here so you can all see it and know that we're thinking of you.

We started out the year of 2014 living in our trailer home in Orem. Matt served as the ward employment specialist and I was the second counselor in the Relief Society, and we both loved our callings and were happy to be able to do some real good. I released Tulips and Treason, the first in the Omni Orchids series (spinoff on Secret Sisters), and kept growing Trifecta Books, my publishing company. Matt worked for GoPro, doing customer service for their cameras, and then later found a better job working for Digis, doing customer service for the Internet.

In the early summer, we got a very wild idea and decided to move. We've been thinking about it for a while, but things hadn't quite panned out. After a lot of prayer, we decided it was time to make things pan out. We started dejunking our house and doing some minor repairs, and put it on the market in August. Literally six days after we got an offer, we moved out ... Yeah, it was a really fast process, so fast that we ended up living in a friend's basement for two weeks while we found our new place. Thank goodness for friends!

Our new home is located in Bountiful, and we really like it. It's an older home, but has been updated in several ways, and has four bedrooms (one more than we had before), a family room (which we didn't have before), a giant laundry room/storage room (we were able to get rid of our storage unit), and covered parking. Hooray!!

It's also really close to the Bountiful Temple, and we've spent a lot of time there feeling the Spirit and soaking in the peace there. The kids and I liked to sit on the grounds and talk about cool gospel stuff ... until the weather got cold. (That's where the pictures of the kids, below, were taken.) We've been here since the middle of September.

Matt has really had his share of adventures this year. In addition to putting up with me, he got to manhandle our belongings into the new house, do a copious list of honey-dos, use his mad skillz to get the small car off the freeway and parked safely when the engine decided to blow, changed jobs from Digis in American Fork to Unisys in North Salt Lake, cope with the gearshift in the van when it decided to come completely off in his hand while driving on the freeway (our cars have had a hard year too), and has been a real trooper through it all. He's become very adept at using the train and bus systems in our area while we've had all this car drama. In the meantime, he's still growing his freelance genealogy business and loves working with his clients, finding their ancestors in unusual places all over the world. He's writing a book about genealogy for beginners, and will be publishing it at some point during 2015. He'd also love to write some books about the areas where he does genealogy, but that'll be another year or two down the road.

As I mentioned, I've been busy running my publishing company, and decided that since I wasn't busy enough, I should take on a new pen name (Paige Timothy) and start writing sweet romances. It's a new venture for me, one that I didn't anticipate doing previously, but it's been a lot of fun. I'm still doing a ton of freelance editing. During the move, I really hammered my body, particularly my back and hips, and by early fall, I was pretty much bedridden. My chiropractor diagnosed me with sacroiliac syndrome, which basically means that my hips don't know how to behave themselves. I have been helped a lot by my chiropractor and a cranial/sacral therapist and am starting to see some improvements. At the moment, I'm down with a bad virus, but that's temporary, so we won't even worry about it.

Caryn turned eighteen this summer, which I can't believe. Who said she could do that? She graduated from seminary, and after she returned from her final year at girls' camp, we went to the Humane Society and adopted a dog for her. The dog's name is Belle, and she's perfect for Caryn in every way. Caryn is settling in to our new area really well. She's attending the young single adults' ward, and plans to serve a service mission next summer when she turns nineteen. She has continued with her artwork and writing, and wrote fifty thousand words in November to win National Novel Writing Month.

Ammon went on Pioneer Trek this summer and had a great time. He also finished up his first year of seminary and started his second, recently turned sixteen, got his patriarchal blessing, and will soon be ordained to the office of a priest. He's six foot three now ... yes, that's right. He's very, very tall. This irritates Caryn, who is fully one foot shorter than he is, and he's constantly mistaken for the oldest in the family. He is in the process of looking for a job, and he's still very much into electronics and building things with bits and pieces of wires and things that I don't even know what they are, but he does. He's currently learning Javascript.

Joseph turned thirteen this summer and hit a growth spurt. He's now taller than Caryn (okay, it's time we just faced it. Everyone's going to end up taller than Caryn at some point or another. Sorry, kid.) He's been really active in Scouts, and he's getting the hang of things in our new ward. He's still a very avid reader, and he's been drawing his own Pokemon. His health has continued to improve (hooray!) and he's doing awesome. He still loves bearing his testimony every month in fast and testimony meeting.

Benjamin just had his tenth birthday, and he's now a Webelos. He loves playing on his DS, writing original songs on his electric keyboard, and basically keeping us laughing. He's making new friends in Primary, and gave his first official sacrament meeting talk a couple of Sundays ago when our family was asked to speak. He is naturally a really good speller - his editor mommy is glad for that.

So, that's what's going on with us! We've gone through so many changes this year, it's incredible to fathom. I guess we're living proof that if you want to make a change and feel it's the right thing to do, you should go for it. It's been scary at times, really scary, but we've been blessed every step of the way. The Lord is good.

We're excited to see what happens in 2015, and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!